Professional baseball had me fooled for several years in believing the increase in home runs was from power and skill, but Sammy Sosa uncorked the bottle for me Tuesday and we all discovered plenty of surprises.

In his first plate appearance against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, Sosa’s bat was shattered after he grounded out in the first inning at Wrigley Field and cork was discovered in his lumber.

Sosa was quick to claim that he accidentally picked a batting practice bat that he admittedly corks to “put on a show for the fans,” instead of using his normal bat.

Sure Sammy, say it ain’t so, but how can we believe that you’re telling the truth on such a controversial subject?

Major league officials confiscated 76 other Sosa bats and found no signs of cork in X-rays taken the day after he was ejected for using the illegal bat.

Sounds like Sammy is telling the truth, or could it be a very good cover up for a slick way to cheat baseball.

Who’s to say Sammy brings just one corked bat to the game every time and has 76 others around the tainted one to cover up for his cheating acts?

In recent years Slamming Sammy has awed and impressed fans around the country with towering home runs and a personality that fans can feel comfortable with, but this incident is wrong of him no matter how you roll the dice.

Why even carry a corked bat into the ball park?

Batting practice pitchers only throw 60 mph anyway, so a man who enjoys his power shouldn’t have any problems impressing fans prior to games.

I liked Sammy and thought he was one of the greatest to play the game, but I can’t help but think at this point that he used corked bats prior to the incident Tuesday.

ESPN ran a quick blurb on Sports Center the night it happened and attempted to show corked bats make little difference in distance. If that’s the case, why cork a bat, especially if you’re a beloved baseball figure like Sosa?

He is No. 17 on the all-time home run list with 505 home runs and holds the most 60-homer seasons in major league history, hitting 66 in 1998, 63 in 1999 and 64 in 2000.

The figures are overwhelming when you look at them on paper, but knowing that it’s possible Sosa did some of the damage with illegal bats forces me to wonder if he deserves forgiveness from millions of fans like myself that are upset with him.

Others who showed poor judgment have been banished from the game of baseball. Does Pete Rose ring a bell?

Maybe that is a little harsh, but Sosa cheated regardless of the fact that he claims it was an “honest mistake.”

What Sammy Sosa did was wrong and he needs to be punished severely for his actions. I don’t believe for a minute that Sosa would accidentally mix his corked bat with a legal bat and then use it, knowing the magnitude of the act.

The only reason corked bats are used is to hit the ball harder and for distance. Just listening to his apology proves he knew the severity of using illegal bats, so why even risk it?

Sosa’s image will forever be tainted and it should be. Baseball fans will question weather he earned his statistical performances or not and it’s hard to argue against them.

As likable as he is to millions of fans, including myself, I will always think of this incident and wonder with great curiosity if the man they call Slamming Sammy corked his way to the 500 home run club.

Sports reporter Joe McHaney can be reached at 1-800-522-0255 (ext. 1-236) or by e-mail at jmchaney@eastoregonian.com.